


The Solution

by WPAdmirer



Series: Chicago Stories II [24]
Category: E.R., X-Files - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-21
Updated: 2011-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-15 20:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/164544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WPAdmirer/pseuds/WPAdmirer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scully and the Lone Gun Men lead Walter to Krycek. Can you say—kicking ass?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Solution

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: I got tired of waiting for some good John Carter slash, and there's never enough Skinner fic to suit me.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: It's not the author's intention to infringe upon or profit from the characters created and owned by Chris Carter, 1013 Productions or the Fox Network, nor Warner Brothers and NBC. Skinner and Carter were borrowed temporarily and returned almost immediately.
> 
> SPECIAL NOTES: I'm going to finish up this series if it kills me. (grin)Thanks to everyone who's written and urged me on, and been patient about how slowly I write these days.

Walter could feel Scully's tension as they stood outside the door of the storage room in the basement of his building. The three stooges crouched around the lock on the door like it was the fucking Rosetta Stone they were trying to decipher instead of one pathetic deadbolt.

"Oh good God!" Walter's patience ended and he pushed the three men aside. One swift kick and the door swung open. He didn't need to turn around to know that Scully would have that one eyebrow raised as she stared at his back. It took all the self-control he had not to start throwing the equipment stored inside in every direction as he looked for Krycek's hidey-hole. The bastard had gone too far this time. He'd made himself a fucking nest too close to Skinner's apartment.

"Sir?" Scully's voice cut through his simmering rage.

Walter wheeled around and glared at her. She held her ground, but Mulder's three nerds seemed to be trying to hide behind her.

"What?"

"Wires. Running across the side wall. They disappear right there." She nodded toward a point behind him.

Walter turned and saw what she was talking about. Wires came in through a hole in the concrete wall at one side and disappeared at the junction with the back wall. He felt a tight smile twist at the corners of his mouth. He had the rat bastard this time. He had him.

Walter walked to the wall and pressed on it. Plasterboard. It looked solid from a distance, but.…Walter punched it with his fist and his hand went through the plasterboard, fine dust spraying back against his face. He grabbed the edges of the hole he'd made and pulled. The wall began to crumble, falling away in large pieces. There was a light on behind the false wall.

Walter quickly drew his gun and pushed his body through into the tiny room. Krycek rolled off the cot and came up facing him holding his gun out at chest level.

"Olly, olly, ox in free," Walter whispered.

Krycek looked stunned. "You don't want to do this, Skinner."

"Oh, why the fuck not?"

Walter felt rather than saw Scully come through the opening he'd made in the wall. He imagined that the three dwarves were hanging back in order not to get shot. Walter heard Scully click the safety off on her gun. He smiled.

"I did you a favor," Krycek said quickly.

"Oh?"

"I saved your career."

Skinner felt the tension leave his body, his gun hand was steady, and he had a real urge to laugh. Instead he smiled and let the laughter come through his voice. "Fuck my career."

"Sir," Scully's voice was soft but insistent.

"I'll do you a favor, Krycek. I'll kill you here so you don't get murdered in prison by your friends."

Krycek held his hands up, clicking his gun's safety on. "You're not a murderer, Skinner."

"Don't count on that." Walter could feel his finger squeezing against the trigger. In his head he could see the bullet entering Krycek's forehead. The small neat hole would give no indication of the huge hole that would be in the back of the head. Brains and blood would spray against the wall behind Krycek. Walter could almost smell the blood. He wanted this.

"Sir," Scully's voice was louder now.

"I can give you control of the nanocytes."

"If you're dead, I'll have it anyway."

"SIR."

Walter rolled his shoulders and tilted his head. God, this felt good.

"There's more. I've got the file. Carter's medical file. You can have it, the controller for the nanocytes, the file, everything."

"Not enough."

"SIR!"

Krycek was visibly sweating. Walter could see it beading up on his face. Krycek dropped his gun to the floor. His prosthetic arm trembled with the effort of keeping it up, hand out to show it was empty.

"I've got the file from the hospital in Arlington. The doctor who treated Carter is dead."

"Another favor to me, Krycek?"

"Carter's grandfather is infected with the nanocytes."

That piece of news took a moment to sink into Walter's brain. "Why?"

"He would have destroyed you."

"So nice of you to care," Walter spoke softly.

"Jesus, Scully, you can't let him do this!"

The desperation in Krycek's voice sounded so good. Walter let the sound settle into his brain, let himself luxuriate in the fear coming in waves off Krycek.

"Where's the controller and the file?" Scully's voice was businesslike, almost bland.

"In that pack."

"Frohicke, get it."

Walter watched as the gnome scurried past him and grabbed up the pack. He pulled out the controller for the nanocytes, and several file folders.

"It's here."

"Krycek, you're under arrest for the murder of Dale Edson." Scully moved forward, taking her cuffs out with one hand and handing them to Frohicke. "Cuff him."

"No," Walter heard the finality in his voice. As Walter pulled the trigger something slammed into him from the side and his shot went wide.

Immediately Krycek leaped to one side and literally through the plasterboard wall at his side.

Walter swore and pushed Scully away. He ran through the hole that Krycek had made. The door to the storage room swung back and Walter kept running. In the garage he could hear Krycek's retreating footfalls. The man was running and running fast.

"FUCK!" Walter struck out at the car nearest him, denting the hood and setting off its alarm. Lights began to flash and the horn sounded loudly, echoing against the concrete enclosure.

Seconds later one of the building security guards burst out of the stairwell. Walter had his badge out before the man could pull his gun.

"It's all right. I'm Walter Skinner, FBI. I live here."

Scully's quick steps could be heard as she ran from the storage area into the garage. When she saw the guard, she too pulled out her badge and held her gun up, pointed to the ceiling.

"FBI. We were in pursuit of a fugitive."

The guard relaxed. "Do you need me to call anyone?"

"No, we've got it under control," Scully answered.

Skinner turned and went back the way they'd come. When he got to Krycek's room, Frohicke and his cohorts had everything of importance gathered up. They froze in place like startled rabbits when he walked in. Walter realized he was still carrying his gun in his hand. He holstered it and tried to look less threatening. "What did you find?"

"Tapes. Lots of tapes. Guess he's had your phone tapped for a while," Frohicke answered carefully. The click of Scully's heels against the concrete floor came close. "Sir, may I speak with you a moment? Privately."

"Let's get everything out of here. Can you pull those wires?"

"Sure."

Walter walked past Scully into the storage room. He stopped just before the door, hoping the distance would give them a little privacy.

"Sir…"

"If I ever have a chance again, I will kill him, Agent Scully." Walter kept his voice low, but he meant every word, and he wanted her to know it. Krycek had to die.

"If I'm there I will stop you." Scully's voice was as sure as his.

Walter smiled and nodded. "Fair enough."

"I'll see that all the tapes and…more sensitive items are turned over to you, sir."

Walter nodded. Scully went back to the tiny hiding place. He listened to the her voice as she directed the three ninnies about gathering everything from the room.

Suddenly Walter felt very tired. All he wanted was to hear John's voice. He needed to hear John's voice.

He leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes. He remembered from his Sunday School days that thinking something was as bad as doing it in God's eyes. That meant he was a murderer. He felt a cold settling inside him.

He hoped that John Carter's voice could warm him up again.


End file.
